According to breaking-news reports this morning from Rolling Stone and TMZ, Adam "MCA" Yauch, co-founder of Grammy-winners and recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees the Beastie Boys, has died at age 47. Yauch is survived by his wife and daughter. As of this writing, it is unclear if his death is related to the cancer he was treated for in 2009...

I never cared for the Beastie Boys--OK, I pretty much can't stand theml--but it just occurred to me that Yauch also founded the independent film distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories. They distribute a lot of documentaries but some of you may have seen RARE EXPORTS or WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN. So, I do have a fondness for the guy after all.